Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-02-28
HOW SCULpTOR'S WORK,
FACTS NOT GENERALLY KNOWN
ABOUT STATUE MAKING.

Various Methods of Carvins-How Some
Artists Diner from 0thers-Thc Best
Known System Deseribed-The Men
Who Help the seulptors-
Several great sculptors, Michael Angelo
among them, have occasionally hewp
their statues. straight out of the block Of
marble, without going through the pre-
hminary courses OF modelling in clay and
casting in plaster But this is rarely done,
for, in the first place, the work would be
too long for any artist who has regard
for his time, and, in the second, the hew-
ing OF the marble demands a special prac-
teal experience which makes it an art
apart. A sculptor would probably spoil
a hundred blocks OF marble before max
ing as much as statuette foot high
were he to trust only TO himself in the
matter Even Michael Angelo, when he
tried TO dispense with the ''statuary'' or
practitioner, succeeded only in making
fragments OF figures. Not being an adept
in judging of the size of the block he
needed, he was constantly finding that
he had miscalculated and that an arm. a
leg or head must remain unfinished in
consequence.
The 'statuary,n who is often an artist
OF great merit and possessed OF as much
talent in his way as the sculptor in his.
sets the plaster model ON a platform,
measures ii and places it side BY side with
block of marble of the requisite height
and breadth. This done, he applies to the
model an instrument Of mathematical
precision, by which be obtains the de-
tailed measure of every part and angle of
the statue. He then returns to the
marble and roughly sketches on the out
side of it, by means of points, a sort of out
line OF the figure or group Upon each of
the spots where he has marked point
with his pencil workman bores a hole
with an aTl, taking great care, however,
not to bore a fraction of an inch deeper
than he is told When the 'sstatuary''
has inspected all the sides of the block.
and when the holes have all been bored
according to his directions, the marble
looks as though it had been riddled by
bullets
POINTS IN STATUE MAKING.
second workman then appears with
ehisel and hammer TO hew away the
fragments Of marble between the different
holes and along the pencil lines drawn as
guide marks. This work is more or less
easy as the attitude of the statue is simple
or fancifuL Ii the figure be one of a
modern parsonage standing placidly with
his arms by his sides attired in the clothes
of our day and with nothing eccentric in
the position of his legs. the task offers no
difficulties and may be intrusted to a
very ordinary workman. But if the sub
ject be group or a figure in an attitude,
Tor Instance ike that OF Al ax Defying the
lightning, the chisel cannot he intrusted
TO any but practiced hand. and every
blow OF the hammer must be struck with
the greatest precaujion.
The appearance presented by the marble
when the preparatory hewing has ended is
that OF some person or persons thickly
wrapped up in shroud The outlines of
head and body can lie vaguely detected
under the Whit. covering but nothing
more. An it is not until the "statuary''
himself has set 10 work with his finer
chisei and more delicate hand that tan
gible form begins To emerge from the
hard mass. First the head, then the
shoulders and trunk, then the legs. and
then the arms and hands appear The
arms and hands. if cut>tretched, are re-
served TO the last If detached first from
the block the oscillations caused by the
chisel in hewinG the other parts of the
marble might shake and crack them. This
is very necessary pTecaution, and it is
even usual to keep the arms, the fingers
and other projecting parts of marble
statues continually Supported by props of
wood until the moment when the work is
set upon its pedestal and uncovered.
WORK By TIE SCULPTOR.
When the statue is handed over to the
sculptor so that be may give the final
touches to II there sometimes remains
scarcely anything for him TO do This is
the case when the "statuary" is himself
first class artist and can trust himself
TO initiate to a nicely the slightest details
OF form and expression in the plaster
model. But such examples are rare. less
because Of the incapacity of the "statu-
aries than by reason Of the natural desire
which every artist has 10 terminate in
person the work he has conceived and
begun.
The statue is usually returned to the
sculptor in a half finished state, the fine
touches, which will constitute the special
beauty Of the work. yet remaining to be
one. The most delicate Of tools are then
employed; slender chisels with the finest
points; toy hammers Of scarcely any
weight, little graters that fit on, some
thing Ike thimbles, to the top of the fore
finger. And to polish the marble and
smooth it chamois leather, sandpaper,
sponges stepped in oil and the palm of the
hand are used. When the work presents
nnde figure the amount of care needed
for the correct modelling of the limbs and
muscles is Uncomfortable. Works like the
LAGOON, the Dying Gladiator and the
Apollo Belvidere must have cost the maker
more trouble and anxiety than any sum Of
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